British dressage rider Lewis Robertson-Carrier and his horse Diego V claimed victory in the CDI3* freestyle at Lier, Belgium, scoring 76.08%. This marked their first international outing since October, following a 13th-place finish in the grand prix the previous day. The win also earned them a special prize of a new sofa from the class sponsor.
Lewis Robertson-Carrier and his 18-year-old horse Diego V won the CDI3* Lier freestyle on 28 February in Belgium, achieving a score of 76.08%. This was their first international competition since the Wellington CDI in October. The day before, on 27 February, they placed 13th in the grand prix with 68.15%.
Lewis described Diego's performance in the grand prix as exceptional despite some mistakes. “We had a decent year last year, but it wasn’t the best. Diego’s 18 and been doing it a long time now, and in the grand prix he just felt like he was five years old again. He was on fire and felt fantastic,” Lewis told Horse & Hound. He added, “He was so excited, I wasn’t really expecting it. We had a few big mistakes, but I was happy because he was happy. I was super pleased with how he felt and we still came away with a decent score, only about 2% off the leaders.”
In the freestyle, performed late at around 10.30pm, Diego felt even better. “Straight from the word go we had energy, but it was controlled and everything just came off. It was definitely one of the best freestyles we’ve done. His piaffe and his piaffe pirouette at the end were fantastic. His extended canters were really uphill and energetic, and his twos and ones were brilliant, they came off really well,” Lewis said. He credited Equidance for the freestyle music, noting, “Equidance did my freestyle; they’re the most lovely enthusiastic people who really support me and I couldn’t do freestyles without them.”
The pair's last major show was Aachen in late summer. Lewis praised Lier, saying, “He definitely enjoys the excitement of the bigger shows, and Lier is lovely. I did the Nations Cup there last year and they do an amazing job.” As a prize, sponsored by Henders and Hazel, they received a sofa chair. Lewis recounted his wife Liv's enthusiasm: “Liv sat in them and said ‘Oh I really want you to win me one’ – and I said ‘I’ll try my best’.”
Looking to 2026, Lewis plans to enter major events, calling the year “an open book.” He highlighted Diego's achievements, including Nations Cups, Aachen, and national championships, but noted the challenge of selection in the UK. “Diego still feels absolutely fantastic and in his prime... When he’s on form he is world class,” Lewis said.
